October 30, 2016

The Atonement Bears No Scars

HELLO!!

What a week! Have you realized how fast this month has been? It has been so fun. Myyy goodness! I feel that the Plan of Salvation will have deeper meaning to me in my life. I love the vision we can have for our lives when we are in the temple.. that place is somewhere I want to share with my family. I loved working in the spirit. While in the tents I often had a prayer in my heart I would have the spirit.. what a difference it makes when we rely on the spirit & help others recognized the spirit in their lives. In preach my gospel it says...

“The light of Christ is just what the words imply: enlightenment, knowledge, and an uplifting, ennobling, persevering influence that comes upon mankind because of Jesus Christ.. every single person I talked to felt that Spirit. Just like the question many would ask us... why is there no crosses in the temple? I know Christ lives! His voice is SO real. That's another thing I've learned so much about and I keep trying to put it in my mind. discouragement and fear is a trick Satan uses. Is that how a Loving Father in Heaven would talk to his daughter or son? He will love and correct but never discourage us. Fearing God is not wanting to miss out living with him in Heaven. (The real party we all want to be) So repentance is so cool. I love it! & prayer does amazing things in my life as I face challenges and when I just need to feel connected with Him. When is the last time you sincerely prayed? Felt the spirit? I really know as we recognize the voice of our Loving Heavenly Father in our lives & keep the commandments we will be happy.

The total count of souls who came to the temple was: 51,689. (I know I know. So many) Saturday was about 6,000. It was awesome! Leaving Sunday was really sad. The Coleman's are the greatest family. They were so extremely grateful to have us & so good to us. We felt so at home with them. I will miss their cat named Dave. I never knew I could like a cat so much! We sang Sisters in Zion with the Sisters in sacrament meeting. We had the greatest laughs with our roomies. We were feeling bitter sweet about the open house being done, excited to get back to New Canaan & the Pace's, but we loved the missionary work we were doing at the temple. It was perfect because when we got back, we had zone Conference in the morning and the focus was the spirit.. no matter where we serve, what our callings are in the church.. it's the spirit that matters most and when we feel the spirit we are happy. I think as missionaries we don't recognize the spirit with us all the time, but those meetings are just so powerful. President Smith Is always teaching repentance. I love him for changing my desires. There is a quote I love, Elder Packer shared this, some of his last words in a conference that were changed.

"The Atonement, which can reclaim each one of us, bears no scars. That means that no matter what we have done or where we have been or how something happened, if we truly repent, He has promised that He would atone. And when He atoned, that settled that. There are so many of us who are thrashing around, as it were, with feelings of guilt, not knowing quite how to escape. You escape by accepting the Atonement of Christ, and all that was heartache can turn to beauty and love and eternity."

I love that and I wanted to share it. Monday night we also were invited over to Sister Ohrn's home to have dinner with Sheryl. The same Sheryl who came to the temple. We talked about the temple a little and she talked a lot. We tried I think 4 times to teach the restoration..the first vision! we taught it earlier that day to the AP's and the spirit was strong.. and sometimes teaching moments just are difficult. Haha That's okay. She is so cute. We are really grateful she is open. She is angry at God right now. She's very confused so we definitely want her to be happy and feel his love. Tuesday we went to Waveny to serve. I guess Waveny is number one senior care center in the nation. It is such a fun place to serve. Sister Busby played the piano and we sang primary songs with them! It was so cute. Ah Jean and Francis and Gracie. So many funny woman. They crack me up!

I look forward to being in New Canaan and I hope to not take a day for granted as I put on my name tag each morning. I know my authority is real and it's the only way to help others through priesthood keys to get rid of feelings of guilt. And in turn feel peace. I'm grateful to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!!

I wouldn't be a missionary without the fourteen year old Joseph Smith who went to a grove of trees to pray!!